We can all agree that slime can be annoying, especially if you are not using it for your kids’ playtime or experimental purposes. It is even more frustrating when slime spills on your carpet. You will be lucky if you see the spill almost immediately and have it cleaned. However, if left on the carpet for a while, getting the slime out can be more tedious as it tends to get dry.
The most effective way to remove slime from the carpet is by tackling it immediately after the spill. You can use dishwashing soap and hot water or vinegar and hot water to remove wet and dried slime from your carpet.
I would say avoid anything that will leave slime on your carpet. However, you are reading this article because you are looking for ways to remove slime from your carpet. Let’s get right into it.
What is Slime?
Slime is a thick, slippery, and unpleasant residue that is neither liquid nor solid but somewhere between. Slime consists of glue, water, a slime activator like borax or liquid starch, artificial coloring, and other optional add-ins like glitters and beads. The result is a sticky, stretchy consistency mainly used for craft and playtime.
How Certain Slime Ingredients Can Interact With Carpet Fibers
· Glue
Glue, one of the components in slime, is sticky and can adhere to anything it comes into contact with. As such, when slime interacts with the fibers of your carpet, it can make them stick together.
When the slime spill is not immediately cleaned, it will harden the carpet fibers, making it more difficult to clean later. This will disrupt the look and feel of the fibers, leaving them looking unpleasant.
· Slime Activator
Slime activators add to the gooey properties of slime. Thus, when slime is spilled on your carpet, this component will leave a sticky residue on your carpet fibers. If the slime spill is not cleaned immediately, the result will be sticky and later hardened carpet fibers. This will make getting the slime out later more challenging and may damage the carpet fibers.
· Coloring
Most slime has artificial coloring as one of its components. When this gets onto your carpet, the tendency for the color stains your carpet fibers is high, especially if left to dry. If you have a lighter-colored carpet than the color of slime, it will be obvious, ruining the carpet fibers. Even if your carpet is a darker color than the slime, that patch or those patches of discoloration from the dry slime are not pleasant to look at.
· Add-ins
If slime that contains glitter or beads gets spilled on your carpet, those add-ins can get stuck in the fibers of your carpet if not attended to as quickly as possible. The longer you want to clean the slime, the more embedded these add-ins get into your carpet fibers. This will make cleaning the carpet more tedious.
Getting Slime Out Of Your Carpet Effectively
Getting slime out of your carpet can be anywhere from simple to strenuous, depending on how long the slime spill has been on the carpet. If you clean a slime spill immediately it gets into contact with your carpet, it is easier to do so. However, if you leave the slime spill unattended and it dries up, you will need more time and effort to get it out.
List Of Items Needed
These items are needed to get rid of dry and wet slime.
- Liquid dishwashing soap
- Spoon/Scraper
- Clean microfiber cloth
- Hair dryer
- Hot water
- Carpet stain remover (optional)
- Vacuum cleaner (optional)
Step-By-Step Guide On How To Remove Wet Slime From Carpet
Removing slime from your carpet immediately after it spills on it is best because it makes cleaning it easier.
- When wet slime spills on your carpet, try scooping it off immediately with a spoon or scraper until there is nothing left to scoop again.
- Put some drops of liquid soap on the stained carpet and pour hot water. Be careful not to pour so much water, but just enough to soak the affected area. Run the spoon through the affected area until it foams. This will dilute and make look the remaining slime, then scoop the residue out of the carpet using the spoon.
- Repeat the second step if slime residue remains on the carpet. After that, pour a small amount of hot water on the affected area to remove the excess soap, and use a clean cloth to dry the spot.
- Sometimes you may have some stubborn stains/colors left on the carpet. Spray some carpet stain remover over it and allow it to sit for about 3 minutes. This should altogether remove any leftover stains. They are widely available at any convenience store near you, so you can grab one and apply or check out my favorite carpet stain remover here on Amazon.
- Finally, allow the carpet to air dry completely or use a hair dryer on the lowest setting to dry the cleaned spots to prevent any bad smell from developing in the carpet due to dampness.
How To Remove Dried Slime From Carpet
The Challenge Of Removing Dried Slime From Carpet
If you do not attend to slime spills immediately, they can dry out, requiring you to do more work to get them out of your carpet. Dry slime implies a more thorough cleaning process and must be more gentle cleaning else you damage your carpet.
Technique To Soften Dried Slime Before Removal
Heat and liquid must be applied to soften dried slime on your carpet and make it easier to remove or clean. The best way is to use vinegar and warm water. Warm water is beneficial here as it helps to soften the slime, and vinegar will do its best to reactivate the sliminess for easy removal.
Step-By-Step Guide On How To Gently Scrap And Lift Dried Slime From Carpet
- Using a scraper or the blunt edge of a knife, scrape off as much of the dry slime as possible and vacuum the area to pick up the slime residue. Be very careful so that you don’t ruin your carpet when scrapping. Do not apply too much pressure.
- Mix two parts white vinegar to one part hot water.
- Apply the vinegar solution to the dried slime using a soft brush or sponge. Apply enough to make it damp and not soaking wet. Allow it to sit for about 4-7 minutes.
- Gently loosen the slime from the carpet using the soft brush, then scoop the residue out of the carpet using a spoon.
- Apply soap and warm water over the area and blot it out with a clean cloth. This will help eliminate the vinegar smell and also remove any excess slime.
- Allow the carpet to air dry, or use a hair dryer on the lowest setting to help it dry.
Tips For Preventing Slime Stains On Carpets
Generally speaking, the only way to prevent slime from getting onto your carpet is not to allow it anywhere near it. But sometimes, it just happens with kids in the house. If, for one reason or another, the slime will be used close to your carpets, you can cover the carpet with a plastic cover or cloth you do not mind staining. If children use the slime, have an adult supervise its usage.
However, if slime gets spilled onto your carpet, clean it immediately to avoid drying up, making cleaning more difficult.
Conclusion
In conclusion, keeping slime away from anywhere you have carpets in your house would be great. However, if slime manages to spill onto your carpet, it is advised that you clean it immediately using any of the above-discussed methods.
If you leave the slime spill and it dries up, you can still successfully get it out of the carpet with more elbow grease and cleaning product.